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Every person who visits your clinic needs a patient record. This is the permanent file that holds their name, contact details, medical history, allergies, and a link to every visit, prescription, lab test, and procedure they have ever had at your clinic.

Before You Start

  • You need the Healthcare Administrator or Healthcare Practitioner role to create and update patient records.
  • Reception staff typically create new records when a patient arrives for the first time.

Registering a New Patient

  1. Go to Healthcare workspace → Masters card → Patient → New
New Patient form showing first name, last name, gender, date of birth, mobile, email, and medical history fields
  1. Fill in the patient’s details:
  1. Click Save
The system assigns a patient ID automatically (HLC-PAT-YYYY-00001 format). The patient’s status is set to Active by default.

Optional: Registering a Patient Fee

If your clinic collects a registration fee for new patients:
  1. After saving the patient, a payment popup appears automatically (if enabled in Healthcare Settings)
  2. Collect the fee and record the payment
  3. The fee is invoiced and linked to the patient record

Inviting the Patient to the Portal

Patients can book their own appointments and view their results online through the patient portal. To enable this:
  1. Open the Patient record
  2. Tick the Invite as User checkbox
  3. Save
The system sends an email invitation to the patient’s email address. Once they set a password, they can log in at your clinic’s portal URL.
Patient record showing the Invite as User checkbox and User ID field filled in after invitation is sent

Searching for an Existing Patient

  1. Go to Healthcare workspace → Masters card → Patient
  2. Use the search bar at the top of the list to search by name, phone number, or patient ID
  3. Click the patient’s name to open their record
Alternatively, use the global search bar at the top of the screen and type the patient’s name. Patient records appear in the global search results.

Updating Patient Details

Patient details should be kept current - especially mobile number and email, which affect SMS/email notifications and portal access.
  1. Open the patient record
  2. Edit any field directly
  3. Click Save
Changes are saved with an audit trail showing who made the update and when.

Adding Patient Relations (Emergency Contacts)

For patients who have a next-of-kin or guardian:
  1. Open the Patient record
  2. Scroll to the Patient Relation table
  3. Add the relation’s name, relationship type, and contact details
  4. Save
This information is available to doctors and nursing staff during emergencies.

Viewing the Patient’s Full History

The Patient History page shows a complete chronological timeline of every record ever created for a patient: appointments, consultations, vital signs, lab tests, prescriptions, procedures, and notes. To open Patient History:
  1. Click the Patient History shortcut on the workspace
  2. Search for the patient by name
  3. The timeline loads with the most recent records at the top
Patient History page showing search bar at top and a timeline of records below including appointments, encounters, lab tests, and vital signs
You can filter the timeline by record type (show only lab tests, or only consultations, etc.) using the filter buttons.

Field Guide: Patient Record


Troubleshooting

A patient cannot log in to the portal Check that their email address is correct on the patient record and that the “Invite as User” option was saved. If they did not receive the invitation email, use the email tool in BAS to resend the invitation. A patient’s status shows as Disabled Open the patient record and change the status back to Active. Disabled patients cannot be booked for new appointments. Duplicate patient records exist for the same person Decide which record is the primary one (usually the one with more history). Contact your Healthcare Administrator to merge or deactivate the duplicate. The mobile number field shows an error when saving Ensure the mobile number is in the correct format. Remove any spaces or special characters.

Best Practices

  • Register the patient before the first appointment rather than during check-in - having the record ready saves time at the front desk
  • Always record the mobile number - it is needed for appointment reminders and lab result notifications
  • Add known allergies at registration, not after the first consultation - this protects the patient from the first visit
  • Use the “Invite as User” option for patients who are tech-comfortable - it reduces calls to the front desk about appointment details and results
  • Keep the status field accurate - do not disable a patient record unless the patient has formally left your clinic, since this prevents booking